Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: It's Unconscionable Not To Protect Workers From Extreme Heat; Boomers Need The Safe-Sex Talk, Too
The New York Times: Workers Shouldn't Have To Risk Their Lives In Heat Waves
A record-breaking heat wave is cresting across the United States, with about 100 million people under extreme heat alerts. Local TV news stations, governors and health officials advise to plan accordingly, drink water, go to cooling centers if needed and above all, refrain from excess outdoor exertion. (Terri Gerstein, 6/21)
The Washington Post: How To Encourage Safe Sex Practices Among Boomers
Many readers were shocked to learn from my latest column that sexually transmitted infections are surging among older adults. But not everyone was surprised. (Leana S. Wen, 6/20)
Stat: Shaken Baby Cases Tested By Defense Medical Expert Witnesses
Danyel Smith has served 21 years of a life sentence at Dooly Correctional Facility in Unadilla, Georgia, for the 2003 murder of his two-month-old son, Chandler. The sole evidence against him at trial was the testimony of three physicians who said that child abuse — in this case shaken baby syndrome — was the only explanation for his son’s symptoms. That testimony went unchallenged; no physician testified on Smith’s behalf. (Zoe Adams and Asher Levinthal, 6/21)
Stat: Journals Should Retract Richard Lynn's Racist 'Research' Articles
In 2012, the Elsevier journal Personality and Individual Differences published a special issue that included articles with titles like “Life history theory and race differences: An appreciation of Richard Lynn’s contribution to science” and “National IQs and economic outcomes.” At a celebratory dinner at the Oxford and Cambridge Club in London, contributors to the issue awarded Lynn a ceremonial sword and a pair of horns. Lynn, an academic psychologist, was being honored “for his long-standing contributions to Eugenics and Psychometrics.” (Dan Samorodnitsky, Kevin Bird, Jedidiah Carlson, James Lingford, Jon Phillips, Rebecca Sear and Cathryn Townsend, 6/20)
St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Missouri Fails When It Comes To Healthcare For The Poor
Missouri is winning another race to the bottom. The latest issue is the failure of state government to provide health insurance in a timely fashion to children living in poverty. This is a basic government function. The health insurance is funded by the federal government. All Missouri has to do is sign up kids who qualify. (Tony Messenger, 6/19)
